SIDELOADER OPERATOR TRAINEE
City of Houston
Posted: January 12, 2026 (2 days ago)
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U.S. Army Medical Command
Department of the Army
Location
Texas
Salary
$30.84 - $35.99
per hour
Type
Full Time
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This job involves making and repairing prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and specialized eyewear like ballistic glasses and flight goggles in a military medical center's optical lab.
Workers handle all steps of production, from lens cutting to assembly, in a fast-paced environment.
It's a good fit for hands-on individuals with experience in eyewear fabrication who can work independently after initial guidance and are comfortable with detailed, precise tasks.
About the Position: This position is located within Brooke Army Medical Center, Vision Readiness, Optical Fabrications located at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The primary purpose of this position is to perform work in all phases of a full service Optical Fabrication Laboratory, where single vision and multifocal prescription eyewear such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, ballistic eyewear, flight goggles, gas mask inserts are fabricated and/or repaired on a production line basis.
Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.
You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected.
See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.
Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required.
However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.
Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of an Prescription Eyeglass Maker without more than normal supervision.
I have the ability to perform common duties in the fabrication of single vision and multifocal prescription eyewear.
I am skilled in performing edger room processes to include calibration, sizing adjustments for high power lenses and different materials, changing cutter inserts and, calibrating lens edger for proper size and safety bevel placement.
I work under close supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who observes tasks in progress and upon completion to make sure they are properly performed - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
Ability To Do The Work Of The position Without More Than Normal Supervision Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc.
(includes blueprint reading) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment KNOWLEDGE OF EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLY, INSTALLATION, REPAIR, ETC.
Knowledge of Materials Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic) Use of Measuring Instruments Physical Effort: Standing and walking on a cement floor is required during the majority of the day in the surface section.
The fabrication section requires more sitting at a desk or workbench. Close hand and eye coordination is required to mark and do lens layout work.
Work generally requires the handling of objects up to 25 pounds with occasional lifting of equipment, tools, or job trays weighing approximately 40 pounds.
Intermittent muscular exertion is required when manipulating light tools or machine controls. Working Conditions: Work is performed inside a well-lit, climate controlled and ventilated laboratory.
Workers are regularly subject to constant noise from optical production equipment and other laboratory operations.
Lens surfacing will require opticians to keep hands in moist environments for extended periods of time.
Some potential hazards exist from working around hot liquids, working around equipment with moving parts, molten free bond/alloy, or working with an occasional knife edge and/or broken lenses.
Hands are subject to minor cuts, bruises or abrasions. Major Duties:
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